The Science of Stress & Free Will | Dr. Robert Sapolsky

[@chinookvalley]

I'm reading the fascinating book by Dr Sapolsky, "Determined: A Science of Life Without Freewill". I highly suggest it to anyone. I have epilepsy and have been used and abused by those who took advantage of me when I was unable to take care of myself. It talks about humans and our way of thinking and do-ing. How we lack compassion and enjoy inflicting pain onto others. I felt like he was talking to me. Thanks for Dr Sapolsky's patience during this interview.

[@user-vi6ro8bd4l]

You might also enjoy a documentary film featuring him, called Stress: Portrait of a Killer. Free here on KZbin.

[@theofficialness578]

@@user-vi6ro8bd4l you just made my day with that suggestion sense of thank you.

[@theofficialness578]

Exactly, it literally shows in primate behavior, all primates do it. Don’t know how much more obvious it needs to be. Of course that is a subjective expression.

[@moeg9772]

I can personally attest to the effects of chronic stress and conventional medicine's inability to help determine the root cause. Thank you, Dr. Hyman for sharing these interviews. They provide much food for thought and resources to pursue for finding resolutions! I am grateful for having found Functional Medicineand look forward to the day of it becoming mainstream medicine available to the masses!

[@toliveischrist950]

I’ve been reminding myself lately that I can choose not to participate in aspects of life that cause me stress in a negative way like arguing, over thinking, too much social media, lifestyle choices that stress and poison me. That way when stresses happen out of my control at least I’ll be more rested and healthy to deal with them. Ultimately, Jesus is my strength, especially when I’m weak.

[@jsarracino]

Thank you. I’m deep-diving your stuff! More please! 😊❤

[@RobertChandra149]

I might call his argument a “determinism of the gaps”. Your brain causes you to do things, Mark says ‘yeah but I’ve rewired my brain using Buddhist techniques, and Robert responds that ‘Oh well then that’s where the determinism is, the next layer down.’ It’s unfalsifiable and wrong. There is moral value in changing one’s thought processes and taking more control over the outcomes in one’s life.

[@jsarracino]

I agree, some people can not change. It’s very difficult for them. Almost threatening even in somewhat benign situations, like ordering a different food at their favorite restaurant.

[@matthewdittmer2862]

I didn't hear any solutions anything that I could really take away from this to do and make things better

[@dutchbiker4825]

Of coarse not. To this guy, it's all buttons and levers, and it's out of your control. There is nothing you can do about it, it's all biology.

[@ANOOPBAL]

Welcome to Science! 😀

[@giorginachkebia2468]

Actually being exposed to this Idea of determinism is already a new environment for you and any pf us if it sounds credible to is. From that moment on in my case I became less harsh on myself and more empathetic towards others. Actually it reduced my stress and I became more diligent in my life.

[@m.dgaius6430]

Agreed with above comment, we know stress is bad, talk about practical steps to take to decrease stress instead of fear mongering on the well known hazards.

[@cameron_ross]

22:06 They did-a sense of control/predictability, a sense of life improving, a creative outlet, and social support (belonging to a tribe).

[@wadesutton4621]

The problem with these conversations is the the amount of time spent discussing the damage of stress, or no sleep etc.. I would argue that most people with these symptoms already understand the issues associated. And after 30+ minutes of being convinced how bad this can be to our health/body/brains, it really only increases our symptoms, or anxiety. We really need to stop the focus on the damaged caused, and look to the solutions. I love your work Mark, and your functional health program is something I would love to be a part of . However, not all can afford this, or live in the USA to take advantage. This is not meant in any negative way as I have gained so much from listening to you, you have helped me improved my overall health dramatically. I would just prefer to see more focus on solutions or cures, rather than the associated damage.

[@mia6089]

Agreed!!! We need simple solutions especially with the COL most of us can barely afford to get the basics taken care of.

[@lilaclilly198]

Well said👏🏻

[@MidnightVentures]

Yes. Mark like anyone else is in this for money. Not our true well being.

[@aliabbas-d3v4z]

❤

[@barbaravadas4140]

Excellent content. Loved it!!

[@radix.a]

Chronic stress has caused joint pain in me. MRIs show nothing. But the pain is gradually spreading and crippling me. I can relate to the parallels drawn between humans and baboons...

[@jstefoni]

I totally agree that free will is not real. BUT our perception of free will is real. So we function under a perception of free will which is good and necessary, but we must remember we are not as in control as we think. We must have grace for ourselves and grace for others.

[@derylrobinson]

If there’s no free will then perception of free will doesn’t matter.

[@xsavalos]

So what do we execute on . What’s the plan?

[@KokoraLife]

So interesting!

[@aliabbas-d3v4z]

Wanted to listen a lot more about solutions than the problem being elaborated over and over

[@clementemergence]

The solutions are for sale here maybe 😕 personally I would say : blend hata yoga, meditation, local seasonal whole food, do some volunteer work and read some traditional scriptures like Gita, Tao Te Ching, Gospels... All the best 💟

[@Blarblarb2468]

Place controls on your environment and you can acquire greater control of your behavior. This is why it is widely agreed on that the most effective method of losing weight is surrounding yourself with healthy food options and not having your walls painted with snicker bars.

[@KJSvitko]

Exercise is a great STRESS reduction tool. Daily exercise is key to as healthy life. Ride a bicycle to school, work or for fun. Riding a bicycle is a great way to exercise. Ebikes are bringing many older adults back to cycling. Cities need to do more to encourage people to ride bicycles. Safe protected bike lanes and trails are needed so adults and children can ride safely. Speak up for bicycles in your community. Bicycles make life and cities better. Ask your local transportation planner and elected officials to support more protected bike lanes and trails. Children should be riding a bicycle to school and not be driven in a minivan. Be healthier and happier. Ride a bicycle regularly. Make a bicycle your transportation option for short distance travel.

[@mia6089]

I agree. For me, it means going to the gym with one of my young adult children or with a friend or family member. It makes it more fun and motivating. I live in Arizona so it is hard to want to do anything out in the heat but thank goodness for AC and for the indoor gyms. Exercise is such a great stress reduction tool and I see how good I feel compared to when I’m not consistently doing it now that the weather is nice. I started to walk with my dogs and that helps so much to reduce stress. It makes us look around and see the beauty of nature, and that alone helps stress.. but yes during these next few months it’s going to be beautiful outside to be riding bikes.

[@rainbowtravelingyogi]

Good convo✨, distracting beep in the background 🙃

[@Johnnybegood1234]

We need solutions!!

[@vickibazter3446]

The Vagus nerve is key.

[@oliverbird6914]

Good luck with that rabbit hole

[@yiayialindaluzy]

Something changing at Cleveland Clinic?

[@TimBitts649]

Free will? Is it real? What I admire about Jewish people, is their heart. They were given a rough ride in history. They should never be successful in the current America, if the past was any indication. But they are. Why are they successful? Very successful. Why? I met a survivor of the bad time in Germany, in the war. I worked for him, briefly. It was back in the early 1990s. He had numbers on his arm. The horrors he must have suffered. We never talked about the past. I just noticed things: Despite that past, he built a great life after the war, had a lovely family and grandchildren. The bravery he displayed was a testament to the human spirit, overcoming the past. That brief experience shaped my perception of free will: Do humans have free will? Yeah, but it's not easy. And it varies, from person to person, depending on biology...imo. And it's a statistical thing, limited. Not completely free, just partial. When people overcome long odds, it's amazing.The past is always with us. My opinion of free will is it's real, but limited. Not completely free, often restricted. It's not a black and white question, not an on and off switch. It's a probability thing. My background is Christian. Jesus understood the limitations of free will in The Lord's Prayer: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Courage is about understanding this past, doing the right thing anyways....despite the past.

[@JimmyKane-em9kw]

Hit 200k today. Thank you for all the knowledge and nuggets you had thrown my way over the last months. Started with 14k last year 2023, God bless America ❤️🇺🇲

[@JimmyKane-em9kw]

It's Elizabeth Regina Nelsen doing she's changed my life. A BROKER- like her is what you need.

[@JimmyKane-em9kw]

I'm favoured financially, Thank you Jesus $32,000 weekly profit regardless of how bad it gets on the economy...

[@JimmyKane-em9kw]

Her top notch guidance and expertise on digital market changed the game for me.

[@GladiaEdan]

YES!!! that's exactly her name (Mrs Elizabeth Regina Nelsen) so many people have recommended highly about her and I'm just starting with her from Brisbane Australia🇦🇺

[@GladiaEdan]

From $6K to $73K that's the minimum range of profit return every week I thinks it's not a bad one for me, now I have enough to pay bills and take care of my family.

[@mikeharvey9811]

There are lots of posts now about how good and essential carbs are. Even on the BBC! Is this a kick back from the cereal industry? Barb

[@ShilpaSharma-tf4of]

Medhya churna for Planet Ayurveda is very good product for Stress problem

[@janetlawson250]

The more this went on it was not good. I feel sorry for him. Free will is REAL. Life is choices. Things that have happened to you in the past do affect you but you can overcome with the right help. I was pretty normal up until Covid and other crazy stuff the world puts us through. But I’m not giving up and I’m overcoming these negative circumstances. You can do it to. Never Give Up!

[@MahmoodKm2202]

As motivating and uplifting it sounds, its not the case when you look at it in the context of science. Its impossible to understand the information of determinism and no free will without looking at it in the context of science.

[@Fallingxleaves]

Two of my FAVORITES together! So so excited to listen to this one. Always love your podcasts Mark. Thank you for sharing such valuable information for us at no cost. Much love ❤

[@robtleroux]

What are some of the easier, and perhaps simpler, ways to ascertain whether your psycho-sexual self is more similar to that of a mountain vole or that of a prairie vole?

[@KJSvitko]

Stress is a killer. It has a huge impact on your health.

[@magdalenaholt2967]

100%

[@belmounlv1]

So many ads!!!

[@schlappemusic]

I've never listened to a scientific Calvinist before. I didn't know they existed. Interesting at least.

[@TheMiddleWaypod]

Robert Sapolksy discusses the illusion of free will with a free will researcher: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZXKpp17jMeYrrM

[@RogerRoyse]

Sapolsky is a smart guy but this is a dangerous argument against free will. People will give up easily if they think they have no choice. He should read Dennett's book Freedom Evolves, That would clear all this up for him.

[@mikedonald1974]

Dr Sapolsky and Dennett had an extensive conversation about a couple of months before Daniel's death. It was interesting.

[@theofficialness578]

The point is successful people have that issue. Just to exist means to not have “free will” IMO.

[@jtanagho]

Pls. Accept my apology for my remark. I like the information you discuss but a lot of stories without substance very boaring. Just to extend the duration of the broadcast. I appreciate if you make shorts for your videos with the main idea and the solution to the problem. Trust me your viewers will double. People does not have patience or time nowadays to hear just talk talk. Please forgive me for my honesty. Good luck. God bless.

[@christinas.8980]

That is very true, cut the bullshit parts. That's what ads like to do, turn a 1 minute point into an hour

[@Jennyj007]

How come I feel that this guys best friends are AI robots and he has no other friends.

[@MahmoodKm2202]

You have little to no idea who Dr the legendary biologist neurologist of our times Robert sapolsky is.... just do a little search and you will see what mountains the man has moved in his life

[@dutchbiker4825]

Spoken like a true biological determinist. Study deep, study hard, be an amazing specialist and you can reason away all behaviour and maladies using only your specialism. The fat acceptance crowd is going to have a field day with this guy. Ok, it will be much more difficult for one then for the other, but I refuse to believe the will to change can not be learnt. Adaptability is also what makes us human. Intellect is allowing for explanations outside your chosen area of expertise.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

I would recommend you read Behave and Determined by Robert Sapolsky, because you are misunderstanding 90% of his thesis. The capacity to learn is absolutely a big part of the equation, and in the book Behave especially, Sapolsky breaks down the specific conditions that lead to our best and worst behaviors, including the ability to pivot and change our actions. A lot of the confusion with discussions about free will comes from semantics and messy definitions of certain words, but humans absolutely have the ability to learn and change - the same system is present in a sea slug. But mess up the dopaminergic system, or damage the prefrontal cortex sufficiently, and no amount of "will to change" will matter - it's all dependent on the brain.

[@LeticiaPeevy]

Free will is real. Period.

[@OmegaOmega99]

He needs a haircut and a good shave

[@bellaspirit]

Well, it does say "the science of" so....maybe that's why there is no focus on solutions?

[@EarthlyAngel333]

I don't like this video 😂😅

[@chrishowe8614]

It seems to me Sapolsky is conflating the constraints of our human biology/brain potential with a certain version of the philosophical concept of "free will." When we are still so early in our understanding of the brain and philosophical points can be argued 6 ways to Sunday, it seems he's overdoing the deterministic, philosophical aspects of his research. Coincidentally, while he is pushing the idea of the deterministic aspect of our evolved mechanisms, he doesn't seem to acknowledge the new findings in epigenetics which are showing clearly that our decisions affect our biology directly. Maybe he needs to brush up on the latest in epigenetics and reconsider his philosophical bearing. Could Sapolsky's struggle with depression be unduly influencing his interpretations of the evidence? I'm a fan but, not hook, line and sinker.

[@farmsteadflowersandfoxhoun8302]

Soooo very sad 😢 to hear someone dismiss the soul of human beings. And therefore totally miss his connection to God his creator.

[@ComradeApocalypse]

A determinist that believes in luck. That's funny. What determinists often use in their argument is a scenario such as this: If we could do an experiment where we could arrange every atom and sub-atomic particle to be just as it was X number of minutes ago, then we would see the exact same outcome (leaving aside for now the possibility that the universe has random elements, god plays dice, etc.). The problem with these proposed experiments is that they are of course impossible and therefore not falsifiable. In other words, it's a type of fallacy. One question to ask yourself is, am I a happier, more engaged person, if I believe I have free will or if I believe my behavior is entirely predetermined by the past? Whether we have free will or not, it is almost surely better for our well-being if we believe that we do. This is similar to how people survive horrible experiences like war if they have faith in a higher power. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, but believing in it helps us cope. (said the atheist) As a counter-example to his "witch" example, we used to believe that people's behavior was determined by the shape of their skull (phrenology) and hence we were pre-determined to be criminals or geniuses or whatever. Dr Sapolsky's view strikes me as a sort of more granular phrenology. Dr Hyman, thank you for all you do to help us make healthier choices!

[@unicorndiva1357]

Another dood trying to explain everything through The our view of just "science" 😂 hilarious guy